It’s time to specialize in your healthcare career with a master’s in health science online! Due to the field’s broad occupational scope, these degrees can fit the bill for any healthcare professional ready for advancement. Think biomedical informatics, laboratory medicine, diagnostic sciences, etc. And with an online degree, there’s no sacrificing your current career for essential education. In fact, some of the best online colleges for health science can launch you into $90,000 salaried jobs! Not to mention, they hold esteemed accreditation status, align curriculum directly with industry standards, and provide quality student experiences.
However, there are enough master’s in health science online programs to make your head spin, and prices can vary wildly. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive degrees is a significant $72,500, no small number for a graduate student. So how can you find the degree that matches your specialized career goals and your budget? GetEducated has done that part for you!
GetEducated surveyed 35 master’s in health science online from 22 regionally accredited colleges and universities to curate this “Best Buy” list. This ranking reveals the highest quality degrees at the most affordable prices, below the national average. Read on to discover the top 18 master’s in health science online options for healthcare professionals in the US.
ARTICLE NAVIGATION: Rankings Table | Career Guide
Average Cost (In-state): ~$25,900
Least Expensive: Fort Hays State University ~$9,255
Most Expensive: Johns Hopkins University ~$81,780
Our data-driven research of public and non-profit colleges creates a genuinely reliable system of scientific rankings. There are no misleading formulas here. We meticulously calculate total full-time tuition—including any fees—for the most accurate total cost. Our rankings cannot be bought, and they factually showcase the cheapest online health science degree degrees. The master’s in health science online programs listed above the gray dividing line are official 2022 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
Best Affordable Master’s in Health Science Online
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fort Hays State University | (KS) | $9,255.05 | All Students |
2 | Western Carolina University | (NC) | $9,724.11 $28,803.72 | In-State Out-of-State |
3 | Florida Gulf Coast University | (FL) | $13,441.68 $46,823.76 | In-State Out-of-State |
4 | Northern Illinois University | (IL) | $14,901.60 | All Students |
5 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | (TX) | $16,049.84 | All Students |
6 | University of Missouri-Columbia | (MO) | $16,065.00 $14,821.20 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
7 | Nova Southeastern University | (FL) | $16,163.00 | All Students |
8 | Indiana University Online | (IN) | $16,359.90 $19,369.80 | In-State Out-of-State |
9 | Lindenwood University | (MO) | $17,285.00 | All Students |
10 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | (MN) | $17,581.74 $25,614.24 | In-State Out-of-State |
11 | Touro University Worldwide | (CA) | $18,000.00 | All Students |
12 | Saint Francis University | (PA) | $20,250.00 | All Students |
13 | A T Still University of Health Sciences | (MO) | $20,856.00 | All Students |
14 | Cleveland State University | (OH) | $22,363.20 $37,715.40 | In-State Out-of-State |
15 | Radford University | (VA) | $22,608.00 $23,292.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
16 | University of Maryland-Baltimore | (MD) | $22,876.00 $30,076.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
17 | Bellarmine University | (KY) | $23,980.00 | All Students |
18 | Excelsior University | (NY) | $25,020.00 | All Students |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cedar Crest College | (PA) | $26,824.00 | All Students | |
MCPHS University | (MA) | $31,420.00 | All Students | |
The George Washington University | (DC) | $34,545.00 | All Students | |
The George Washington University | (DC) | $35,528.00 | All Students | |
The George Washington University | (DC) | $41,468.00 | All Students | |
The George Washington University | (DC) | $47,588.00 | All Students | |
The George Washington University | (DC) | $51,326.00 | All Students | |
Johns Hopkins University | (MD) | $81,780.00 | All Students |
Accreditation & Program Notes
To qualify for a ranking, a program must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table.
14 Options for this program have changed since publication.
Rankings Note
These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Summer 2022 review of regionally accredited master’s in health science online programs. Total cost includes full-time tuition and fees and was valid at the time of collection and specific to the online learning program. School profiles for the online master degree programs in our directory may reflect a slightly different cost based on different editorial update schedules.
The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online degree including fees. Actual costs may vary by student. Factors such as transfer credits, prerequisite courses, professional licensing and financial aid availability will affect final cost.
Editorial Note
Online schools do NOT pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking. These rankings are editorially independent, open to any non-profit, regionally accredited or candidate college that offers a master’s degree that is available at least 80 percent through online learning and that is open to enrollment by the public. If your online college is regionally accredited and not currently reviewed by GetEducated, please contact us for inclusion.
These rankings of the cheapest online schools for health science may NOT be re-posted online or reprinted in any format without a license from GetEducated ®. Consumer finance bloggers and writers can contact our editors for a free custom article on the best master’s in health science online options for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.
Career Guide: Master’s in Health Science Online
You deserve a rewarding career, one that brings a strong salary, excellent benefits, and fulfilling work.
After completing a master’s in health science online, you’ll be prepared to work in a high-paying field that is expected to see significant growth over the next decade. Best of all, you’ll have the chance to work in an industry that brings better health to people from all walks of life!
What is Health Science?
Health science is a broad, far-reaching topic. It’s so broad that it deserves some clarification. Health science is the combination of countless sub-disciplines that come together to create better health. Overall, it’s the research, development, and improvement of health through scientific knowledge and discovery.
Health science involves numerous scientific subjects. It umbrellas categories like biology, chemistry, psychology, anatomy, kinesiology, and physiology. It involves the science of exercise, diet, lifestyle habits, environmental factors, and more. From studying the impacts of habits like smoking or running to developing new medicines that combat disease, people educated in health science fill many essential roles.
What to Expect from a Master’s in Health Science Online
To enroll in these programs, you need to meet rigorous requirements. Simply having a bachelor’s degree is a good start, but you’ll also need to meet GPA requirements. Usually a 3.0 is required, but some programs allow students with 2.5 GPAs. You’ll have trouble qualifying for these programs with anything lower than a 2.5.
While they are not the most expensive degrees, master’s in health science online programs can have a range of prices. When researching these degrees, we found that among 35 different programs, the average cost was just under $26,000. However, the lowest-priced program was just over $9,200. While the most expensive was almost $82,000, you can find programs that fit even the tightest budgets.
These programs develop your understanding of human health. Courses take a broad look at health and will cover topics like health throughout a person’s life, health behavior, and the legal and ethical issues impacting health workers. You’ll study topics like research methods, strategies in health policy, and diversity in healthcare.
Some of the programs offer health science master’s degrees with certain concentrations. This might include healthcare administration, healthcare law, risk management, and leadership in the sector.
Top Careers in Health Science
After you complete these degrees, you’ll be prepared for some of the most important healthcare jobs. The degrees won’t prepare you for direct-care roles (such as a nurse or physician), but will instead prepare you for work as a scientist, health care manager, or researcher.
Epidemiologist
- Salary: $78,830
- Education: Master’s
- Experience: None
These health experts study the patterns and causes of disease and injury. While the ultimate task is to reduce illness and prevent injury among large populations, the specific duties might include planning research experiments, collecting data, communicating their findings with health practitioners and policymakers, and managing other scientific personnel.
They often specialize in certain areas, such as chronic diseases, environmental health, injuries, or child health. The pay for this career is strong, but the expected growth is particularly eye-catching. The expected growth for all careers between 2020 and 2030 is 8%. Epidemiologists, however, will see a growth of 30%! This growth is fueled by an increased focus on health issues, created in no small part by the COVID pandemic.
Medical Scientist
- Salary: $95,310
- Education: Doctoral
- Experience: None
If you are interested in career advancement using your health science master’s degree as a foundation, you might pursue a doctorate and become a medical scientist. These highly-educated experts research health issues, using clinical trials and investigation to develop new innovations and practices.
Their work is vastly important, and the top medical scientists are well rewarded. The top 10% in this career earn salaries over $166,000, making them some of the best-paid professionals in the medical and health industries.
Additional Requirements for Working in Health Science
While you can work in health science without licensing, many will require certification of some kind. An epidemiologist, for example, does not need licensing, but voluntary certification could improve your career. Medical scientists also do not need licensing, but those who administer drugs or therapy will need to be licensed a practicing physicians.
If you desire a leadership role, you will need experience. Health services managers, a common career for graduates of master’s in health science online, will need roughly five years of industry experience.
Want to learn more about the top degrees in health science? Start with this list as you pursue information on tuition, classes, and program schedules!